Slow out of the Blocks

A rather disappointing display has the moaners on social media working overtime already. 

Yes we were very poor at Barnsley! Yes the players are struggling to adapt to a 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 formation. No we don't have the squad to play it. Yes we need two or three new players to make it work!

Nigel Pearson has a list of targets and is keeping his cards close to his chest on the identities of these players. 

The problem with the 4-3-3 formation is that it's failed us three seasons on the trot. Teams often revert to negative tactics to combat it and we are left frustrated. 

Saturday was poor at both ends of the pitch. Woeful defending and attacking! However, a victory at Preston will see us better our points tally from last season at this stage. 

Nigel Pearson is not the same type of manager as Paul Clement. He's been through bad spells at other clubs and emerged victorious at the end. He us an experienced manager with promotions in his cv. Give the guy time and he will turn it round and have us climbing the table before long. 

Yet again certain players are being targeted as scapegoats. Richard Keogh is the usual victim. 

If the guy isn't good enough ask yourself why he is rated by Nigel Clough, Steve McClaren, Martin O'Neill as well as Nigel Pearson? He is always involved in the game! All centre halves make errors! His are magnified by the usual bunch of moaners and red dogs supporters. 

Often Keogh is caught whilst having to cover for others short comings too! If you ask most championship strikers I'm pretty sure they'd rate him as one of their hardest opponents. 

Right Back does concern me a bit! I'm hoping that we do sign someone soon along with another striker and a recognised winger. 

We have yet to see much of Abdoul Camara and let's hope he can bring something to the table. Clement and Wassall appeared to be reluctant to play him. 

The transfer window closes in a couple of weeks and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a few departures. Chris Martin fir one if Wolves up their bid a little I could see making the move away. 

Anyway let's hope the players needed to help the switch in formation are signed! Onwards and upwards! 

The Big Kick Off!

Will take timHere we go again! Another season has finally got under way at the iPro Stadium and we have a point on the board. 

Brighton are amongst the favourites to win the division and quite rightly so! They only just missed out on automatic promotion last time out and then had to, like Derby, suffer the agony of being eliminated in the play offs. 

It's a much used saying, but the game on Saturday is the type of game I have seen us lose time and time again. We didn't lose and for me we may well look back at the end of the season seeing it as a point that is very valuable. 

Nigel Pearson has been in charge for one league game and an EFL Cup match with Grimsby. We edged through against the Mariners and the record books do show many failures in this competition against lower league opposition. 

I'm convinced Pearson is the right pick to be boss, but like most new managers will need a little time to get going. 

Last season we had five points after five games yet we're top by Christmas. I'm certainly not going to form any sort of opinion of the guy until he's had a really good crack of the whip. 

Had has promotions on his cv and that for me gives him some time to get us motoring and challenging for the top six again. 

What we do have to consider is he is changing formation too! 4-3-3 was good when it was working, but teams soon got wise to it and it appears to be easier to defend against. 

Switching to 4/4-2 or indeed 4-4-1-1 we take time and maybe 2 or 3 new signings too. We need to be patient and let the manager get on with the task in hand. 

Various players have been linked with us, but I think we just need to sit and wait for signings. Nigel Pearson doesn't seem to be the type of manager to comment on speculation. 

A trip to Barnsley is next up on Saturday. The Tukes have just returned to the championship and this promises to be an interesting fixture. Of course a win will be very good and move us up into the next gear. One thing is for sure and that is that there will be a good following from the Derby faithful. 

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Squad Numbers 16/17

1   Scott Carson

2.  Cyrus Christie

3.  Craig Forsyth

4.  Craig Bryson

5.  Jason Shackell

6.  Richard Keogh

7.  Johnny Russell

8.  Jeff Hendrick

9.  Chris Martin

10 Tom Ince

11 Darren Bent

12 Chris Baird

15 Bradley Johnson

16 Alex Pearce

17 Lee Grant

18 Jacob Butterfield 

19 Will Hughes

20 Abdoul Camara

21 Kelle Roos

22 Nick Blackman

24 Andreas Weimann

25 Max Lowe

26 Jamie Hanson

29 Marcus Olsson

34 George Thorne

35 Jonathan Mitchell